Being a novelist sets one up for plenty of rejection. Trust me on this. Because even when a writer sells a book and even when it looks like said writer has had an easy go of it, he or she will still have countless opportunities to be rejected in the future. By reviewers. By readers. By friends. By colleagues. By agents.

Because of those times of rejection, I have learned to savor all the more those wonderful moments when sweet words come my way. On Friday, my editor sent me my line edits for A...